


Happy Ending Redux

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Series: Happy Ending [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Torture, Injury Recovery, Major Character Injury, Multi, Past Character Death, Past Torture, Psychological Trauma, Split Queen, Swan Queen Supernova 2020 (Once Upon a Time), Swearing, Threesome - F/F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:13:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26202481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: In the aftermath of Regina being stabbed and killed and then miraculously brought back to life by True Love's Kiss from both Emma and Quinn, the trio and their extended family must learn to navigate the muddy waters of physical, psychological, and emotional recovery to come out stronger in the long run.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/"Hyde" Evil Queen/Emma Swan
Series: Happy Ending [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1902856
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52
Collections: Swan Queen Supernova V: Forever Starstruck





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Starrrynighhts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starrrynighhts/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Happy Ending Redux [art]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26221495) by [Starrrynighhts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starrrynighhts/pseuds/Starrrynighhts). 



> Pairing: Regina/Emma/Quinn  
> Date Written: 11 July - 19 September 2020  
> Word Count: 11766  
> Written for: SQSupernova 2020  
> Artist: starrrynighhts  
> Link to art: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26221495  
> Summary: In the aftermath of Regina being stabbed and killed and then miraculously brought back to life by True Love's Kiss from both Emma and Quinn, the trio and their extended family must learn to navigate the muddy waters of physical, psychological, and emotional recovery to come out stronger in the long run.  
> Spoilers: Canon divergent AU branching off nebulously in S6 where Robin still died, Hook left, there was no CS wedding, but a lot of the rest of the characters' info is still intact. This particular fic picks up within hours of the previous fic "You Were My Happy Ending…"  
> Warnings: Major Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Past Character Death, Psychological Trauma, Implied/Referenced Torture, Past Torture, Aftermath of Torture  
> Series: Happy Ending  
> Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
> Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/  
> Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…  
> Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Once Upon a Time," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Kitsis/Horowitz, and ABC Studios. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Once Upon a Time," ABC, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: While this is a sequel to one of my Protostar fics from last year, it _can_ be read on its own relatively easily. Quinn is the name I've given to Queenie to choose for herself to be separate from Regina across the board in all SplitQueen fics I write for her, regardless of ship. It means "wisdom, reason, intelligence" and it's close to Queenie, so it works. This has a bit of everything: happiness, angst, hurt/comfort, love, surprises, bonding… You name it. I like it that way. And yeah, there's every chance that this particular verse is not finished yet. We'll see…
> 
> Dedication: My muses, as usual…
> 
> Beta: Not yet, due to a variety of reasons. If you see something that I missed, please politely let me know and I'll get it fixed.

_From the personal journal of Regina Mills_

Death is never what you expect it to be.

People always have their theories, but until you've experienced it, that's all it is: theories to make the unknown less terrifying, more palatable, more _comforting_. Those who've encountered it may or may not share what they've experienced, as is their right. It is a very personal ordeal that must be processed in its own time. One cannot hurry it along or put it off for too long without risking consequences to body, mind, and soul.

Death has touched me and my family in ways that are more than coincidental. I sometimes wonder if there's not some sort of curse involved. And no, before you say it, I don't mean a Sleeping Curse, as funny as that may seem to you, though we all technically fell under one of those for a brief time courtesy of Maleficent. Sometimes I truly feel like Death took a special interest in me from the moment of my birth, or maybe conception, because so many people important to me have been taken over the years, not to mention those whose deaths were orchestrated on my or Quinn's command. But Quinn was a part of me back then, so I suppose they were all my command, weren't they? So much blood spilt, so many needless deaths in the pursuit of …what? Revenge? Retribution? Balance? Peace? 

Perhaps I'll never know.

But I do know this. I will never again take life or any part of life for granted again. I know I've said that before, but I've died twice now that I can remember and been brought back by True Love's Kiss and Authorial prerogative. I don't know that it will work a third time for me. And that doesn't count what I did to Quinn upon first seeing her after our initial split.

Life is precious. Death is meant to be final. I only have one chance left to make this right.


	2. Regina

A soft, but annoyingly consistent beeping sound intrudes on Regina's blissful slumber. She wants to ignore it, does her best to that effect, but the electronic gnat won't let her be. She tries to reach for the phone, wondering if Emma's changed her alarm tone again, but her body doesn't respond like it should. 

_Sleep paralysis. That's all this is. Just take slow, deep breaths and relax. You'll drift off to sleep again and wake up to none of this happening._

The mantra and breathing exercises seem to help drown out the incessant beeping. Breathing too deeply hurts, and she's not entirely sure why. Has she slept in a strange position somehow and twinged a muscle?

"Hey, Mom."

Henry. Her little prince. But what's he doing in their bedroom? Is something wrong with Roland or Robyn? Does she need to get up? But she's so drained of energy right now.

"I know you're probably still sleeping, and that's okay. Ma and Mama Q are still asleep, too. You all need it. I just had to come see you before Darya sends me over to stay with Gram and Gramps. They said they'll take Robyn if you want, but maybe it'll be better if she stays with Aunt Zelena while you're here? That'll have her close because we both know Ma and Mama Q aren't going to leave your side until you come home."

_Until I come home?_

And then it hits her… The beeping starts picking up speed and intensity of tone, joined by more beeping from sources she doesn't recognize, and panic sets in. It takes more than a few seconds to realize that there's cool air moving automatically into her nostrils, whether she takes a breath or not, and a small part of her mind wants to cry out that it's some sort of foul sorcery. She hasn't thought like that in over thirty years now.

"Hey, hey, hey," Emma's sleep-gravelly voice cuts into her frantic thoughts. "You're okay, babe. Slow, deep breaths. You're okay, you're safe. We're all here. Me, Quinn, and Henry."

She can feel them all close, touching her somewhere, not trying to crowd her while still letting her know they're with her. It helps every bit as much as Emma's continued soft rambling does. When she finally opens her eyes, her vision is blurry until she blinks away the tears and lets them slip down her cheeks.

"There you are, beautiful," Emma says with a soft smile, glancing up over her head briefly. "Looks like everything on your monitor is easing back to normal again, too. Good thing, or Darya would be kicking our asses for getting you all riled up."

"S-Sorry." Her throat feels raw and it hurts to say that one word, but she does it anyway.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Not sure?" Whispering doesn't hurt nearly as bad as talking does. "Hurts."

Quinn mutters something under her breath that sounds like a threat toward the medical staff or maybe her attacker, but Regina can't be sure. She's still a little fuzzy on some things yet. She really just wants to be home in their bed, wrapped in the warm safety of her loves and their sons. Before she fully comprehends what's happening, Quinn has slipped onto the bed behind her, molding their bodies together.

"Shh, dear, just try to relax," Quinn whispers against her temple, arms carefully wrapping around her so both hands splay over belly and chest wounds. "Dasha said I couldn't heal your wounds, but she did say I could help with the pain. Let Emma guide you through the mantra while I take care of this, all right?"

Regina nods and bites back a soft sob before searching out Emma's face again. She and Henry offer bright smiles which she tries to return. Emma leans in to gently stroke her cheek before saying, "Five things you can see, babe."

Blinking, Regina does her best to scan around her without moving too much from Quinn's cradling embrace. "Green eyes, dried drool in the corner of your mouth, Henry's messy hair, dusty window blinds, the couch is …a bed?"

A trio of amused chuckles surround her in comfort and Emma nods. "Good girl. Now, four things you can feel."

Each observation is already starting to calm her racing heart and mind. "Lump in the mattress under my hip, blankets aren't warm enough, Quinn feels toasty warm, my toes are tingly."

The faintest thrum of magic intensifies around her and the mattress feels more like the one they share at home, the bedding growing heavier over her body to help raise her body temperature. She hums softly, eyes fluttering shut, and she wishes she could stretch languidly like a cat, but knows her body just won't allow it right now.

"Better, dear?" Quinn murmurs in her ear, pressing a kiss to her skin when she nods. "Good. Keep going."

"Three things you can hear, Regina."

"The incessant beeping of the machines, the soft hiss of air being forced into my nostrils, the squeak of Henry's sneakers as he fidgets."

The last sound stops and she watches her son's face darken slightly in embarrassment at being caught. She reaches out a hand to him, grateful when he takes it. This is getting better.

"That's my good girl. Now how about two things you can smell?"

Regina wrinkles her nose now. "Antiseptic smells that make me a bit nauseous and stale coffee. Not a good combination." Quinn murmurs something again and the room suddenly has a pleasant lavender and mint scent to it that soothes Regina even more. "Thank you, Quinn."

"Anything for you, dear. Now finish up."

"Last one, Regina," Emma says with a smile. "One thing you can taste."

"A coppery tang on my breath that's also making me nauseous." 

She watches Emma's eyes widen slightly and shift to focus behind her face. Clearly she's looking at Quinn, having a silent conversation that Regina wishes she could be part of. It takes a moment for Regina to realize the pain has diminished enough that her exhaustion has come to the forefront again, and her eyelids begin to droop.

"You get some more sleep, Mom," Henry says softly, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead. "I'm gonna head over to the loft before Gram and Gramps come over with a search party for me. I'll stop by in the morning before school to say hi, okay?"

"Love you, Henry," she whispers past the lump in her throat, remembering just how easily she could have never seen him again, or either of her loves, or their other children, or anyone else for that matter. "Please be safe."

"I will." She watches him pull out his phone with a sheepish grin. "Yeah, it's already too late. Gramps jus texted me to say he's waiting downstairs for me and that Gram has dinner ready."

"Go on then, sweetheart."

He leans in to rest his forehead against hers this time. "I love you, Mom, and I'm so glad you're going to get better and come home to us. I know Ma and Mama Q will take good care of you."

Tears sting in her eyes at his words and she swallows thickly before whispering, "Go on, Henry, before your grandfather comes up here in a righteous fury to rescue you from your overprotective mothers." They both chuckle at that, and he shifts to let her kiss his cheek. "Be good for your grandparents and make sure Roland and Neal brush their teeth and go to bed nicely for me, okay?"

"I will. When we get to the house, we'll have Gram do the FaceTime call for you and the boys, okay?" 

When she nods, he kisses her cheek again before moving to do the same to Quinn and Emma, then heads out of the room. Regina can't see him leave, closing her eyes against her tears and fighting to stifle the sob at his absence. Quinn shifts slightly to hold her closer and presses soft kisses to her shoulder. She hears the scrape of chair legs against the linoleum floor before feeling Emma's lightly callused hand enveloping one of hers.

"It's all right, dear," Quinn says softly, voice husky with her own emotions. "You know he'll be safe with Snow and Charming. A crappy hospital couch is no place for a growing boy to be sleeping on a school night. And Roland will need his big brother to help make sense of what's happened."

"Wh-What does Roland know?"

"Just that you got hurt badly," Emma says with a squeeze of her hand, "and that you're getting better. Dad said that's what he and Mom explained to Roland and Neal both."

Regina lets out a breath and practically collapses back into Quinn's solid presence behind her. After what happened with his parents, she has no desire for Roland to be further traumatized by her recklessness in saving Quinn from Hook's attack. If faced with that moment again, she knows she'd do the exact same thing to save her twin, her partner, her love. She and Quinn may have done some heinous things in their past together, neither of them would ever consider denying it, but they've worked hard for their redemption and both deserve this second chance at life and love.

"You should rest some more, Regina," Quinn says in a voice husky with unshed tears. "You're still weak and have a long recovery ahead of you."

"I want to say good night to the boys first." The words are marred by a yawn, and Regina can feel her body fighting the urge to just surrender to her exhaustion, but she can't let her boys wait any longer to see that she's going to be okay. "I'll sleep as soon as I talk to them."

Quinn's gentle touch and gentler magic envelop her in a warm, safe cocoon, and she clings to Emma's hand for that connection, as well. Silence descends on them for several minutes, only the sounds of the monitors tracking her vitals and their combined breathing can be heard. If it weren't for the sterility of her surroundings and the strange, incessant sounds, she might just close her eyes and believe they're at home. She cannot wait until the day Whale and Darya let her leave this place. She's never felt comfortable in this hospital, not even when her curse was in full swing and she was _winning_ …or thought she was.

"You're thinking too loud, babe," Emma murmurs, thumb rubbing the back of her hand. "Do we need to do the mantra again?"

"No. I just hate it here." She lets out a shaky sigh. "I want to go home."

Before Emma or Quinn can say anything in reply, Emma's phone rings with the sword sound effect from Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistible", her ringtone for her father. The loss of Emma's hand on hers is palpable, but if it means she can talk to her boys, she'll accept it.

"Hey, Dad," Emma says, answering her phone. "Everything okay?" Before Regina can even start to worry about her son, Emma smiles and nods. "Okay, lemme check." She looks at Regina. "You still up for the FaceTime call with the boys?" At Regina's eager nod, Emma chuckles and says, "Yeah, Dad, we're still up for it. Go ahead and FaceTime us." Regina watches her hang up the phone and turn it around to face her. "You get to answer it, babe. The boys really want to talk to you. I could hear them in the background."

She barely finishes her words and the familiar ringtone starts. Regina reaches out a shaky hand to press the screen to answer the call, smiling when she sees David's face. "Hello, David."

"Hey, Regina. It's good to see your face."

He's jostled aside briefly and she sees Snow White's chipper face and suspiciously glassy eyes. "I'm so glad you're going to be okay, Regina. You let me know when we can visit, okay? The boys wanted to say hi while Henry and I finish getting dinner ready. I love you all."

The image jostles a bit before she can reply to Snow, but then Roland and Neal are scrambling into David's lap with a chorus of _Hi, Gina_ that makes her eyes sting with tears at the sight of them. "Hello, boys. I've missed you."

"Gina, do you still have your big ouchies? Should I have Uncle David bring my monkey so you won't feel scared?"

She lets out a soft, wet chuckle. "Thank you, handsome, but you keep him. I have Quinn and Emma to keep me from feeling scared. And I'm working on feeling better, but my ouchies are going to take a long time to get better. I may be here for a while before I can come home. You're okay to stay with David and Snow, right?"

Roland nods and hugs Neal. "Me and Neal are being good boys. Aunt Snow let me help make dinner like you do!" He leans in closer to the screen to not quite whisper, "She doesn't do it as good as you though."

They all laugh at Snow's _Roland!_ , even David, and Regina swears she can hear amusement in Snow's voice, too. This sets the boys off in fits of giggles, the sound a balm to her soul. "Neal, are you happy to have Roland and Henry stay with you?"

The three-year-old nods and hugs Roland. "Me wuvs Wolly! Me wuvs Gina!"

"I love you, too, sweetheart." She yawns then, hard enough to crack her jaw. "You boys go have your dinner now. I need to take a nap before I have my dinner. I love you and I promise to talk to you again tomorrow, okay?"

They both nod and blow kisses at her before scrambling off David's lap. She watches as his head turns to follows the boys' progress before returning to her. "You sure you're doing okay, Regina?"

"I'm exhausted and I hurt all over and I just want to go home, but I'm alive."

"And that's all that matters," Quinn adds, joining the conversation. "But Regina does need her rest, especially since I'm forbidden to use magic to heal her wounds. Take care of the boys, David, and we'll talk to you tomorrow."

"You got it. If you three need anything, you just call, no matter what time it is. We'll take care of everything for you."

Regina smiles, heart spasming with that feeling of contentment that her extended family always elicits, and she loses the rest of the conversation as Emma turns the phone back to herself. She can feel Quinn's magic enveloping her again, the remnants of pain easing and allowing her exhaustion to come to the forefront.

"Rest now, dear. I may not stay with you all night, as this bed's tiny, but I'll be here until you're deeply asleep enough not to wake up when I slip away. But Emma and I are just a word away. We love you and we're not going anywhere."


	3. Quinn

"So when are you going to tell me what happened to Hook?"

Quinn frowns and bites back a sigh. She's known this was coming for two weeks now, ever since she'd let it slip that the one-handed bastard would never bother them again after attacking her and killing Regina. She's been able to hold it off up to now because of Regina's presence, or Henry's, or a thousand other reasons. Honestly, all she's had to say is that Regina's recovery must be their singular focus, and it's usually enough to dissuade Emma from continuing with her questioning.

But not today.

"We're letting you drive the Mercedes," she starts slowly, trying to keep the irritation from her voice.

"Which I appreciate, but that's not the answer I want and you know it."

"Emma…"

Emma stops the car at the stop sign and Quinn can feel her gaze land heavily. "No more excuses, Quinn. Regina's not here and neither are any of the kids. I _need_ to know what happened. I'm not asking as the sheriff, I'm asking as your partner, as Regina's partner. We _lost_ her because of what he did, Quinn, and it could've been permanent. I still have a hard time sleeping without dreams of what life could be like if our True Love's Kiss hadn't worked to bring her back to us." She swallows thickly, and Quinn can hear the tears in her shaky voice when she continues. "I want to tear him apart for what he did. It's been over a year since he fucking left. Why come back now? And why come after you?"

"Take us home, Emma," she says softly, touching her lover's arm. "We can't do this here in the middle of Main Street."

"I'm not letting you weasel out of this."

Quinn offers her a small, tight smile that she knows doesn't reach her eyes. "I know you're not."

The rest of the short ride to the mansion is silent, and Quinn finds herself lost in thought. How will she explain this without sounding like… Well, like the horrible person she's always been known for? They always talk about Zelena's work at becoming a better person, dealing with her traumas and triggers, but Quinn's been doing much of the same work herself, just as Regina had, both when they shared a body and after they'd split. As much as she sometimes wants to go back to her darker ways, she knows that's not what her family wants or needs from her. For the most part, she doesn't want it either, but she'll do it in a heartbeat to protect those she loves.

"Quinn?" Emma's soft, curious tone cuts through her thoughts, and she blinks at the realization that they're already home. When Emma reaches up to cup her cheek, she can't help but lean into the touch. "Hey, beautiful, you okay?"

"Just lost in thought, I guess," she replies honestly, not surprised by the husky tone of her voice.

"I didn't-- Listen, I'm sorry if I sounded bitchy before. I just really need to know what happened. It's been bothering me and--"

"I know it has, dear," Quinn replies, cutting her off smoothly. She leans into Emma's hand briefly before shifting to press a kiss to her palm. "Why don't we go inside and get something to eat, then I'll tell you what you want to know."

"But our showers?"

"Trust me when I say we should wait. If we shower first, we'll get worked up from what I share, and we'll probably need a second shower." She offers Emma a quick grin. "I know Regina and I installed an insanely large hot water heater, but there's no need in depleting it twice unnecessarily."

Emma's knowing laugh is more of a balm to her soul than Quinn expected, and she joins in with a soft laugh of her own. The tense atmosphere in the car dissipates, and she feels like she can breathe just a bit easier now. They sit there for a moment or so before she makes the first move to get out of the car, knowing she can't put this conversation off any longer. Emma follows suit, locking the car behind them, and moves to rest a hand in the small of Quinn's back, a gesture she knows is automatic from her years of a shared body with Regina. Emma's love for the two of them has never wavered, even when she was on her own murderous rampage against her twin and Snow right after the split. Quinn likes to think Emma is a lot like Maleficent in that respect, and the thought is more comforting than she ever expected it to be.

"How about I make us some of that yummy herbal tea that Regina always makes when she's upset about something?" Emma asks as they make their way up the steps into the foyer toward the kitchen. "I mean, I'm guessing a good stiff drink would be preferable, but we need to get back to Regina and that will make things difficult to do."

Quinn lets out a soft snort at that thought. "I'm not sure who'd have our hides more for coming back drunk: Regina, Zelena, or Dasha."

Emma pauses in turning on the water to fill the electric kettle and shudders. "Yeah, I really don't want to find out the answer to that one because all three of them will be scary as fuck in their own ways." She finishes filling the kettle and plugs it in before turning to face Quinn, chewing on her bottom lip. "Speaking of Zelena, I had a question for you before we delve into the whole Hook thing."

Quinn settles on one of the stools at the island, certain she knows what Emma's about to ask, but willing to wait for her lover to say it. She watches the blonde fidget briefly with pulling out their favorite mugs first, recognizes the need for routine.

"Do you think we should just skip our plans for slowly introducing Zelena to the house and Robyn's schedule and just bring her with us when Regina comes home? She'd still be wearing the cuff, but she'd be here with Robyn and Regina both, and the rest of the family, of course. But I'm pretty sure it would make Regina feel better to have her here."

Quinn stares at Emma for a long moment, then a soft smile curls up her lips. "You want her home, don't you? This isn't just about Regina, is it?" The habitual scratching at the back of her neck and the soft _No_ is all Quinn needs for confirmation, and she stands to pull Emma into a gentle embrace. "I think it would do them both a world of good, and you, too. I know you don't like her living down in that cell any more than Regina and I do anymore. We've been working on the best time to bring her home, waiting for the okay from Archie."

"I just… We can't work on getting past what I did to her when I was the Dark One if we're not able to actually interact on a regular basis and learn how to live together and find a way to forge some sort of trust between us. I know it's been tearing Regina up to have to keep her separated from Robyn like that." Emma shifts back to look at her, nervously licking her lips. "If we're all here, we can heal as a family. That's been the goal, right? Or one of them, at least."

Quinn smiles and leans in to press a sweetly tender kiss to Emma's lips, grateful to feel her relax almost instantly. Pulling back to rest their foreheads together, she says, "Why don't we bring it up when we return to the hospital? We can easily redo the spare room next to the nursery for Zelena. She'll be close enough to help Regina, but far enough way for our privacy."

Emma nods and lets out a soft sigh as the kettle whistles, pulling away to finish prepping their tea. Quinn takes the opportunity to look in the fridge for something to eat, frowning when she finds nothing of consequence, then remembers that they've been living at the hospital for two weeks now. Henry mostly stays with his grandparents or they stay with him here at the mansion, and he's already mentioned how often they have dinner at the diner. Not that she, Emma, nor Regina have chided Snow and David for that, grateful that they've been helping with Henry and with bringing them meals to replace the vile concoctions passing as hospital food. Looking in the cupboard yields her a box of the shortbread cookies she and Regina love. An internal promise to replace them has her pulling out the box and a tub of chocolate frosting. It's not healthy by any stretch of the imagination, but she doesn't care.

"That's not what I expected you to be eating," Emma says with a chuckle as she sets their mugs on the island.

Quinn shrugs. "Nothing in the fridge and I didn't feel like cooking. It's comfort food, unless you have a better idea?" When Emma shakes her head, she offers a half-smile. "Just don't tell Regina I was eating cheap store bought frosting, okay? You know how she is about that sort of thing. She'll consider this a personal affront to her culinary skills and I'll _never_ hear the end of it."

That gets Emma laughing harder, and she rummages in the pantry for a bag of potato chips and a pair of spoons. "As long as you don't tell her I'm eating that same frosting on potato chips, I won't say a word about you desecrating the sacred shortbread with this plebian frosting."

The way she sneers those final words sounds just like Regina when she gets on one of her food snob rants, and it has a lump forming in Quinn's throat at the reminder of what they could have irreparably lost two weeks ago. Her eyes close and she struggles to take deep breaths and keep herself calm. She can't break down now, not when she still has to get _that_ damned story out yet. The sensation of arms surrounding her and pulling her into a familiar, warm chest pulls the tears from her eyes with a soft sob.

"Shh, it's okay, Quinn," Emma murmurs, rubbing her back. "We didn't lose her. We still have Regina with us. Our family is still here, still together. You've been so strong for both of us for so long now, beautiful, and I am so grateful to you for that, but you need to let out your emotions, too. Let me shoulder the burden for a little while, let me be the strong one for both of you."

She continues to speak, lips brushing against Quinn's hair, but the words blur into a comforting white noise haze that cocoons her in safety as she lets out the fear and anger and helplessness that she's sublimated for two weeks now to be the strong, stable rock for her family. Dasha warned her that this would happen, so did Archie, but she'd scoffed at them both, all the while knowing deep down the truth of their words. She'd wanted to have her breakdown in private, away from everyone, even her partners and their children, _especially_ their children. She's _always_ been the strong one, had to be in order for Regina to survive all those years. But now? Now it's hard to give up that control sometimes, most of the time, and she feels…

"You're not a failure for having feelings, Quinn," Emma says, the words finally distinct enough to make sense to her, and she wonders how Emma knows what she's thinking. "How many times have we told you that? You're exhausting yourself for no good reason when you have people who love and support you, no matter what, if you'll just remember to let us in and help you."

"I killed him."

They're not the words she means to say, but now that they're out, she feels a sense of relief flooding her. A part of her has always known that Regina likely figured it out, even if she was drugged up and nearly passing out when she heard Quinn say it. After all, Regina and Quinn shared a body for how many decades? But Emma is different. Did she put the pieces together from the way it was said? Quinn would like to believe so, especially with how Emma has been hounding her for the past two weeks to get the full story. But maybe not? Even knowing the horrific things Quinn and Regina have done in the past, Emma still wants to see the best in them, especially after her stint as the Dark One.

"I know you did," Emma finally whispers, voice far more soothing than she expects. "I've been waiting for you to tell me what happened. Are you ready for that now?" When Quinn nods, she feels Emma repeat the motion. "Good. I bet it feels good just to have said that much, doesn't it?" The soft rumble of Emma's knowing chuckle when she nods again is comforting in ways Quinn will never be able to explain. "You want to do this here or maybe in the den on the couch?" 

"Here is fine," she replies, wincing when her voice cracks, then clears her throat as she settles back on her stool. Without thought, she waves her hand to reheat their tea to the perfect temperature before taking a sip in an attempt to rein in her racing heart and chaotic emotions.

"Do we need to do the mantra?"

Quinn starts to shake her head, pauses to consider the request and take assessment of herself, then shakes her head more emphatically. "No, I'm okay." At Emma's quirked brow, she offers a small smile. "Truly, Emma, I'm okay to do this. Just a little nervous, I suppose, because hindsight is telling me that I slipped back into doing certain things without thinking, like I used to." She swallows thickly. "And that I'd _really_ enjoyed every second of it when it happened."

"Okay…" Emma takes her hand to lace their fingers together and gently rub a thumb across her palm. "Just talk to me, beautiful, tell me what happened. I'm not going to judge you. He wanted you dead, he killed Regina. He deserved to be punished. Maybe a swift death was the best punishment for him."

"Oh, it wasn't swift, Emma, not by a long shot." She takes another mouthful of tea in an attempt to quell the riotous explosion of butterflies in her stomach, eyes closing against the dizzying sensations. "I could still feel a connection to Regina. Did you know that? As long as I could still feel that bond between us, I knew she'd be okay and I could continue to fuck with him, torture him like the prey he'd become the second he hurt her." If Emma answers her, she doesn't hear it. Her mind supplies the imagery that has never actually been more than a breath, a thought away, like it's happening all over again. "Once I got you to Regina, I went after him. I managed to put a magical trace on him, thanks to the poison on his blade. When I caught up to him, Jefferson was waiting for him with his hat. They were leaving through one of Jefferson's portals." 

"Quinn, you didn't…"

"I did."

"What the fuck were you thinking, Quinn? You could've been separated from us permanently! Or worse, you could've been killed, too!"

"Before I followed them, I sent a signal to Mal and Lily. They knew how to follow and retrieve me if needed." She licks her lips and takes another sip of tea. "I followed them into the portal. The idiots were gloating over finally getting their revenge on the Evil Queen and didn't realize they were being followed. When we stepped out of the portal into Wonderland, of all places, I was hit with a waves of emotions of the last time I'd been there with Jefferson and when I'd sent Hook there on a very particular mission. Both times involved Mother and the knowledge that I was defying her for Regina's sanity and safety." The ache in her chest is enough to make her want to plunge her hand in to pluck out her heart to finish this, but she knows better.

"It's okay, beautiful," Emma says softly, lifting their entwined hands to press a kiss to her knuckles. "Take your time."

It takes a moment to get herself under control again. "I saw red, Emma. I heard them boasting about wanting to kill me, hoping it would somehow kill Regina in the process, but that killing Regina was just as good because there was no way anyone would accept me without her, not even you. Hook was certain you'd come crawling back to him, and they'd both be lauded as heroes by the whole town. Jefferson was goading him on for explicit details of the whole thing, which he _gladly_ gave, from the fake phone call to lure us both to the alley behind Cannery Row to how he planned to kill me to how it felt when his sword pierced Regina's body both times to how she began convulsing as the poison took effect. And then, just as Jefferson uttered the words, I realized what felt so familiar about the magical trace to that same poison on Hook's sword." She looks up at Emma then, takes in the startled look, and realizes that she must look truly frightful in this moment. "He used a particularly horrible poison of my and Regina's own design from our days under Rumpelstiltskin's tutelage."

"He _what_?!" Emma gets up and starts to pace now, and Quinn gets it, feeling her own body twitch with the need to do something to bleed off these emotions. "He used your own potion--"

" _Poison_ , dear."

"Whatever. He used something you made against you?"

"That he did. I called them both cowardly bastards for having to rely on poison to incapacitate us to get their revenge. Oh, they tried to bluster their way out of it, and when that didn't work, they groveled, but I was beyond anything but pure rage. I could still feel the bond to Regina, so I decided to torture them. I can go into detail, if you'd like."

Emma swallows thickly and stops her pacing. Quinn notes that she looks paler than normal. "Uh, no, I trust you when you say you tortured them. I already have enough nightmares of losing Regina that make sleep difficult. I'm not sure I can stomach the added trauma of visualizing you torturing them, no matter how much they deserved it. Paige doesn't deserve to be an orphan though, Quinn."

Quinn snorts derisively at that. "Oh please, Emma! You and I both know that while she loved him, she preferred the stable life she had with her cursed family. And he abandoned her once again to go travel through his portals, promising to visit, but never coming back. Henry told me she's basically written him off as never coming back anyway."

"That still doesn't--"

"You'd rather he still be alive and roaming the various realms out here, plotting another murder attempt on me or Regina? Or one of our children? Zelena? You?"

"No!"

"Then what, Emma? Paige has a family. She doesn't even want to go by her old name. She's made her choice. That aside, as I was torturing them, Hook turned into the pitiful coward I knew he was, but Jefferson kept taunting me that if I didn't kill him, he would find another way to come after us until he achieved his goal. Emma, he was not sane by any stretch of the imagination." She scrubs at her face and lets out a shaky breath. "The more he goaded me, the worse my torture was. When he vowed he'd never stop until he killed us both, I felt the bond to Regina falter. It terrified me, Emma, and I felt all of my fear and rage funnel into this single point, like… Like the focal point of a laser that I aimed at both of them. They…" Her next words are barely whispered. "They _imploded_ from the force of my magic." She chokes on a sudden sob, curling in on herself at the shame burning hot in her veins over how easily their taunts had gotten to her, made her lose her cool and just … _snap_. She startles at the sensation of arms surrounding her again, but clings desperately to her lover as the sobs come again, hard and loud and painfully wracking her entire frame.

"Shh," Emma murmurs, rocking her gently. "It's okay, Quinn. I've got you. You're okay, you're safe now. You did what you needed to do to keep our family safe. I'm sorry I doubted you. It's okay, beautiful, it's okay."

She's not sure how long they stay like that, but she couldn't let go of Emma if her life depended on it.


	4. Emma

"Are you sure you have everything?"

Emma rolls her eyes and leans over to kiss Regina's cheek. "Yes, babe, Henry and I have gone over every square inch of this room and its bathroom five times now. There is nothing left of yours that we could possibly have missed. Even if we did, magic can bring it home, right?" Regina frowns, and Emma tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Why are you so nervous about going home, Regina? I thought you'd be excited to finally be back in the comfort of our own home instead of this sterile, impersonal hospital."

"I am, but what if something happens?"

Before Emma can respond, Quinn steps into the room with Zelena, who's holding a sleeping Robyn. "Regina, dear, nothing is going to happen when you leave this hospital other than your stress levels dropping because you're in familiar surroundings again. I told you that he's never going to bother us again."

Emma can see the shadows lurking in Quinn's eyes as she speaks the words. The last two weeks since learning exactly what Quinn had done to Hook and Jefferson in response to the attack on Regina have been eye-opening for the three of them. Archie is the only other person who knows exactly what happened, and she only knows that because she went to the therapy session with Quinn for emotional support. No, that's not true. She learned that Maleficent and Lily also know, having witnessed the tail end of the torture and deaths of the two assholes responsible for Regina being in Storybrooke Hospital for the last month. She's been doing everything she can to make sure both of her loves feel safe and loved, no matter what.

"I know," Regina says softly, reaching for the sleeping toddler. Zelena hesitates only briefly before handing her over. Young Robyn snuggles into Regina's chest with a soft murmur, pacifier moving against her mouth as she clutches her fox lovey blanket. "I'm just worried that I'll have a setback and have to come back here."

Zelena shakes her head and gently strokes Robyn's pale strawberry blonde curls. "Not going to happen, sis, not if I have anything to say about it. I want you to get better, we all do, but you need to take your time with your recovery. Emma can get back to work, David and the Merry Men won't have to do so many shifts of standing guard over me, Henry can stay home more, and you can just _relax_ while you recuperate. We'll learn how to be a proper family and navigate our emotional landmines together." She grins and winks at Emma. "I have Emma here to thank for that wording. I rather like it, seems to suit us."

Emma chuckles and leans in to press a gentle kiss to Regina's temple, rubbing Robyn's back lightly. "She's got a point, babe. We can really be a family and deal with our collective shit when we're all together at home."

"And Archie said he'll make house calls for us," Quinn says with a smile that Emma notices doesn't quite reach her eyes. They haven't told Regina the whole story yet; Quinn's adamant they don't hinder her recovery in any way. The fact that Regina knows Hook is dead and can never hurt her or their family again is all that matters. "I'm sure we'll all need that service once or twice."

Emma relaxes a bit when she hears everyone laugh at Quinn's words. Their family may be stubborn and a bit self-obsessed from time to time, but at least they understand the concept of self-deprecating humor. The less stress for Regina, the easier her recovery will be. And maybe if they can prove she's not as stressed and tense, they can get Darya to relax her stance on no magical healing. But that's not going to happen today, or anytime soon, so it's best to focus on what _is_ happening, which is Regina and Zelena and Robyn coming home.

"Has anyone seen Dasha?" Quinn asks, glancing back at the door. "I thought she'd be here by now with Regina's paperwork."

The words are no more than out of her mouth, and there's a knock at the door. They all turn as one to stare at it until Regina finally calls out, "Come in." The sight of her former personal healer from the Enchanted Forest eases some of Emma's own tension, especially with the royal blue folder in her hand. "Dasha, please tell me you're going to let me go home now?"

Darya's eyebrows lift as she looks at Regina. "I don't remember okaying you holding your niece yet, Regina. You've got to take this slowly." She turns to face Quinn. "Are you healing her wounds?"

"Not at all," Quinn replies, holding up her hands. "And I've been careful with the pain management, as well. You know I wouldn't go against your orders on something important like this, Dasha. We want her to come home with us, not stay here longer."

"I won't carry her," Regina adds. "And I won't hold her when she's awake and unwilling to settle. She was asleep and I just needed something soothing for a little bit." She presses a kiss to Robyn's hair. "I won't even hold her when I'm wheeled out to the car."

"Speaking of the car," Emma says sheepishly. "We did something that you're probably not gonna like."

Regina turns to face her, a look of curious dread on her face. "What did you do, Emma? And who is _we_?"

"It was ultimately my and Emma's decision," Quinn says, jumping in smoothly, "though Henry, David, and Snow helped us narrow down our choices."

"Oh my gods, no." Regina turns her gaze between them, eyes widening now in horror. "Tell me you did not make us into soccer moms."

Emma chuckles at that. "Like you or Quinn could _ever_ be soccer moms, babe. No, we figured since our family has expanded to include Zelena now, we need more space. It's a classy SUV-style minivan, big enough for all of us adults and all three of the kids. We can get you home in style until you're cleared to be in your Mercedes again."

Regina's pout is adorable, but she doesn't say anything for a long minute or two. "At least tell me it's not some clichéd color?"

"A deep red, like a proper red wine or venous blood," Quinn says with a devious grin that Regina quickly mimics.

"I wanted it to be green, but I got outvoted," Zelena complains, but Emma can see the twinkle in her eye. "At least it wasn't the absolutely _dreadful_ pink that Snow White was looking at."

Regina's eyes grow comically wide until Emma worries that they'll fall out of her skull. "She did not!"

"Yes, she did! I swear it on my daughter's gorgeous curls! She wanted a powdery pink monstrosity!"

Emma nods when Regina turns to face her, eyes searching for confirmation. "She's right. It took the threat of siccing Mal on her for a little fireball target practice to get her to finally back down, though I think she may be working on getting Dad to buy it for their anniversary." Emma shudders at the memory. "It was pretty hideous, but _so_ my mom. She was planning on getting those family stick figure stickers for the rear wind--"

" _NO!_ "

Both Regina and Quinn say it at the same time, making Emma laugh loud enough and hard enough to start choking. That gets everyone else to laugh until Robyn whimpers and starts to fuss. Regina tries to calm her, but sucks in a breath when she moves too suddenly and a knee hits the wound in her stomach. Without thought, Emma plucks up the year-old toddler and cradles her close, humming softly as she rocks her back to sleep.

"And on that note," Darya finally says, regaining their attention, "why don't we get this over with so you can go home, Regina?"

The rest of the release information goes by quickly, and Emma is doubly distracted by the tiny girl in her arms. Darya and Quinn get Regina into the wheelchair, but Henry claims the honor of wheeling his mom out to the minivan. Quinn poofs her belongings home before she, Zelena, and Darya become an honor guard for Regina, with Emma bringing up the rear behind Henry, still holding the sleeping Robyn. She makes sure to get the little girl into her car seat first, then they work together to get Regina comfortably into the van. Just the little bit of movement from bed to chair and chair to van has Regina looking pale and exhausted already, and she rests her head on Quinn's shoulder without thought. Zelena settles in the rearmost seat next to Robyn's car seat, and Henry takes the passenger seat as Emma gets in and starts the engine. They wave their goodbyes to Darya and Emma pulls away from the curb and heads toward home as quickly as possible.

"How are we gonna get her up to bed without waking her up?" Henry asks as they pull into the driveway about ten minutes later. They can call hear the soft snoring coming from Regina.

"Your other mom and I have a plan for that, kid," Emma says with a smile. "You go open the door and help your aunt get your cousin inside, okay? We've got your mom."

Henry nods, flashing her the same shy smile as when he first met her almost seven years ago, and she's reminded that the baby boy she gave up for adoption for his best chance is nearly grown up now. The contrast between him now and the memory of holding Robyn while they were still back at the hospital is giving her all sorts of weird feelings.

"Okay, Ma. We've got this, if you've got this."

"We've got this, my little prince," Quinn answers for her, and Emma knows she's smiling by the tone of her voice. "You make sure to remind her where her room and the nursery are while we get your mother upstairs and settled in bed. We'll work on lunch once she's all right."

"Okay, Mama Q." Henry's grin is contagious. "I'm just happy to have everyone home finally."

Emma turns off the engine and smiles at him. "Me, too, kid. Let's get this show on the road. Zelena, can you get Robyn out of the car seat okay?"

"Henry and I can manage. You two get my sister up to bed. In fact, stay with her as long as you need. We can take care of lunch. I've been dying to make a proper salad for weeks now."

Emma starts to retort that they have no food in the fridge, then remembers that her parents and Henry did a huge shopping expedition the day before -- Henry's exact wording when he came back to the hospital afterward -- and she's dying for some good home cooked food. She knows Regina is, too, even with all of Granny's best food coming on a daily basis.

"You make sure there's a protein in that meal, sis," Quinn says as she gently shifts to undo Regina's seatbelt. "Regina needs all the nourishment she can get."

Emma coughs to cover the laugh as Zelena rolls her eyes and says, "I thought Regina was the stickler on that sort of thing, not you, Q. But yes, I was planning on chicken in the salad. Unless you all want something else?"

"Chicken is fine, Zelena," Emma replies. "Just take a deep breath and relax, okay? We're all gonna be muddling our way through this, but we're all in this together. It's gonna be okay. So let's just get everybody inside and settled and then work on lunch."

A chorus of agreement meets her, then they all start getting out of the van. Henry goes to open the front door before coming back to wait to help Zelena with Robyn. Emma gets out of the front seat, and opens the door to gently reach in to work with Quinn to blend their magic to lift Regina out of the van. Quinn follows after her, the two of them flanking the floating Regina as they make their way up to the house, through the door, and up toward the bedroom. It's a slow process, and Emma tunes out everything else but getting their deeply sleeping love into bed. By the time Regina's changed into comfortable pajamas and fully settled under the covers, Emma feels exhausted by the surprising magical drain. A glance at Quinn shows she's clearly feeling the same strain.

"I'm just gonna text Henry to tell him and Zelena to save us some lunch for later," she says, toeing off her boots. "Right now, I just wanna crawl into bed with you and Regina and get some real sleep for the first time in a month."

"That sounds like heaven actually," Quinn replies, flicking her wrist to change them both into comfortable sleepwear. "A nap in our bed will be beneficial to all of us. Maybe we can help Regina downstairs later for a late lunch or dinner."

"Sounds like a plan."

Emma quickly sends the information to Henry, smiles at his affirmative response, then sets her phone aside as she curls up next to Regina, reaching across to where Quinn is curled up behind her, needing to touch both of them as she drifts off to sleep.


	5. Regina

"How have you been feeling, Little One?" Mal asks as she brings the teapot over to the table where Regina is already sitting. Lily is still plating their lunch to bring over with her usual flair, but quirks a brow at her mother's question, and Regina wonders if her daughter finds the question as potentially intrusive as she does.

"Still exhausted," she replies, reaching for the cup Mal offers her. "I feel like all I do is sleep since I've come home. Actually it feels like that's all I've done since I--"

"Came back from the dead like the world's sexiest zombie?" Lily asks, bringing over the first two plates, setting them in front of both of her mothers before returning for the third plate. 

"Yes, that." Regina wrinkles her nose. "I really wish you wouldn't say it like that, Lily." She offers Mal a wan smile. "Besides, that honor goes to your other mother here. She always did have an otherworldly beauty to her."

Lily makes gagging noises, making Regina and Maleficent both laugh. "No, Little One, that's because I'm a Dragon. Our daughter has it, too. But that doesn't answer my question. Quit avoiding it."

Regina sighs softly and runs the tip of her forefinger around the rim of her cup, unable to meet either of their gazes. "What else can I say? I'm constantly exhausted. Dasha says it's normal when recovering from wounds like I've had, _especially_ given the poison that Hook used on me. I don't have enough strength to take the stairs more than once a day, and even that's not consistent. Emma and Quinn usually have to help me if they're home, or Zelena helps when they're not. I love my bed, but I also hate it and my bedroom because I feel suffocated in there. It's worse than how I felt in the hospital, and that's not what I want to feel when I'm in bed."

"Um, please keep this on the G end of the spectrum if you're gonna get into that kind of talk," Lily says as she returns to the table with her plate. "I don't begrudge you your relationship with Ma 2.0 and Emma, but I _really_ don't want to hear about it, okay?" She narrows her eyes and points at Mal. "And that includes you, too, Mom. No grossing out your kid with sex talk."

Regina watches as a strange look passes between mother and daughter, accompanied by a particular set of sounds that she recognizes as Dragonish, but the specific words elude her. She envies them that bond, and wishes she could form one with her daughter, or with Zelena's daughter even. The sudden warmth on her hand startles her out of her thoughts to realize she's spilled her tea.

"Damn it!" she exclaims, struggling to get up to clean up the mess.

"Hey, easy," Mal says gently, helping to resettle her in her chair as Lily mops up the mess. "Let me look at your hand." Regina doesn't fight her, doesn't have the energy, even if she wanted to. Gentle fingers smooth over her skin, easing the sting and heat of the burn. "There we go. Better?"

Regina nods and offers a wan smile. "Thank you," she says, watching as Mal's magic refills her cup again. "I'm sorry."

"For what? Having a long and slow recovery? Little One, when considering the alternative, I'll gladly take this any day of the week. The kids aren't making you overdo it, are they? Lily and I can take the boys for a few days if you need the rest."

"No, it's not that. Henry's been wonderful in helping around the house and with Roland. And speaking of Roland, his favorite thing now is to lay in bed with me and tell me stories and sing me songs to help me sleep. He knows he can't roughhouse with me, but he's more than happy to snuggle and watch movies or nap with me. And Zelena brings the baby in often enough to just rest with me. I just hate being stuck in bed all the time. It's easier for them downstairs, but not always comfortable for me. We find ways to make it work."

She rubs at her stomach, then takes a sip of the peppermint tea, letting the heat slowly spread through her body. It eases some of the tension in her chest, and prompts her to take a second sip. She watches the other two women eat, but only picks at the salad on her plate.

"Why aren't you eating, Ma?" Lily finally asks. "Did I not make it right? I can redo it for you."

"No, sweetheart, it's not that. I'm just not very hungry." She sighs and pushes her plate away. "I think I'm coming down with a cold or something. Maybe one of the boys brought something home. I have a follow up with Dasha next week. If I'm not better by then, I'll ask her about it."

That makes Mal frown and reach up to touch her forehead. "Have you told Emma and Quinn about this? Do they know you're not eating?" She cups Regina's cheek briefly before shifting to hover her hand over both of Regina's healing wounds. "You don't have a fever and I don't sense any infection, though…" She quirks a brow. "Are you obeying _all_ of Darya's orders about your recovery, Regina?"

"Yes. Why would you ask such a thing?"

"You're not having sex with your loves?"

"Mom, please!" Lily says, clapping her hands over her ears, but Regina can see the mischievous glint in her eyes.

"No! I don't have the energy to eat anything, and when I do, it all comes back up within a couple of hours anyway, so I _certainly_ don't have the energy to fuck Emma and Quinn."

"All right, Little One, I'm sorry, I just had to ask. You should see if Darya can come for a house call, make sure there's not something wrong that my magic can't detect. We don't want you relapsing at all, do we, Lily?"

"Nope."

The rest of the meal goes by smoothly, but it's cut short by Regina's need to go back to bed after she barely makes it to the bathroom to spectacularly vomit up nothing but tea, juice, and bile. She promises Maleficent and Lily that she'll call Darya after her nap and, as they start to make their way upstairs, Zelena comes home with Roland and the baby. Lily instantly scoops up Roland and declares it Big Sister Little Brother Day and that she'll bring him home in time for bed before racing out the door with a shrieking Roland in her arms.

Mal and Zelena manage to get Robyn into her crib and Regina into her bed. Regina curls onto her side with a soft whimper and lets her eyes drift shut to surrender to sleep, even as she hates how much she's been sleeping these past six weeks.

*****

Over the next few days, the exhaustion, nausea, and vomiting get worse until she can't even keep down tea or water. She wants to cry at how horrid she feels, and she knows her family is worried. Mal visits every day, and Regina can see worry and a strange gleam in her eyes every time she hears about Regina's worsening symptoms. On the fourth day, after shooing Quinn and Emma downstairs to get the boys ready for the day, Mal is sitting with Regina.

"You really shouldn't wait until your appointment with Dasha," she says, exasperation plain in her voice. "But you've always been so stubborn, Little One. I asked Quinn to make you a cup of tea--"

"I won't be able to keep it down, so why bother?"

"This is a special blend that should help. If it doesn't, she's been instructed to call Dasha immediately."

Regina pouts, but says nothing. She knows Mal is right, but fears the thought of ending up in the hospital again. She doesn't want to be stuck there, separated from her family and the familiarity of home, but she knows that she can't keep going like this. "You're right," she finally says. "I know you are, but I'm scared, Mal."

"I know you are, Little One," comes that preternaturally gentle tone. "And so are the rest of us. If any of your children was this ill, you'd stop at nothing to ensure they were healthy and safe. Why are you so reluctant to do the same for yourself?"

Before she can respond, there's a soft knock on the door, then Quinn and Emma step into the room. Quinn has a strange expression as she carries the cup of tea in and moves to sit at Regina's side. She glances at Mal uncertainly, but hands the cup to Regina anyway. Bringing the cup to her nose, Regina sniffs it and coughs at the horrid smell as her stomach rolls uneasily.

"Are you _trying_ to get me to puke all over you, Maleficent?"

"No, dear, but this should help. Just drink it down and give me ten minutes. If you're not feeling better, I will personally bring Dasha here to check on you."

Frowning suspiciously at her, Regina takes a deep breath and does as asked. It tastes better than it smells, and she hopes that's the honey and ginger talking. She downs the entire cup as quickly as she can without scalding her tongue or throat. Her stomach rumbles ominously for a bit, but eases soon enough, and she even feels the tiniest bit of energy perking her up. Three sets of eyes are on her, staring intently, and it makes her feel uncomfortable, but she knows they love her and want her better.

"How are you feeling, dear?" Quinn asks softly a moment or so later as she takes the cup from Regina.

"Better actually." She blinks at the veracity of her words. "Mal, I don't know what you put in that tea, but can you make sure that everyone capable of cooking in this house knows how to make it? I think it might be the only thing I can keep down right now."

Mal nods and chuckles knowingly as she holds out a hand to Emma, who grudgingly pulls a couple of bills from her wallet, a stunned expression on her face. Quinn, however, looks like she's ready to faint, eyes wide and glittering with unshed tears.

"Quinn? What's wrong?"

But Quinn doesn't answer her. Instead she turns to stare at a now smug Mal. "How did you know? How is that even…"

"You need to call Dasha for that exam, Quinn," she replies. "That was our deal. And make sure it's a _full_ exam, the whole works."

"Would one of you three please explain what the hell is going on here?" Regina asks, growing annoyed.

When neither Mal nor Quinn says anything, but Quinn just continues to let silent tears slip down her cheeks, Emma finally moves to join them on the bed, rubbing Regina's calf. "Babe, you remember how I'm a True Love baby?"

"Yes," she replies with a confused frown, unsure why the conversation is switching to Emma's parentage. "What the hell does that have to do with Mal's tea making me feel better?"

Emma lets out a shy little laugh, and that's when Regina realizes she's crying, as well. "Because that tea that Mal had Quinn make for you? It only works to sooth the upset stomach of a pregnant woman."

Regina just stares at her, unable to process the words Emma just uttered. Her eyes move between the three women sitting on the bed with her, noting the hopeful expressions all of them have. She even sees the glint of tears in Mal's eyes. This is too much to handle, and she shakes her head. "No. Fuck you all. This isn't funny. You can all go to hell for this little _joke_ of yours that isn't funny at all." She struggles to get away from them, get out of the bed to find somewhere to be alone. But they won't let her out go. "Leave me alone!"

Two sets of familiar arms wrap around her, holding her close as she struggles even more, tears slipping down her cheeks as she tries to come to terms with what they've said. "Babe, stop, please," Emma says softly. "Just calm down and let us try to explain. Or, maybe Mal should do it. She's the one with the theory, after all."

"Oh sure," Mal drawls, but Regina can hear the emotion deepening her tone. "Leave it all to me to explain while you get to do the comforting."

"S-Somebody best start talking," Regina growls, still struggling in the arms of her two loves. This is too much for her to handle. She's never supposed to get pregnant, not since she and Quinn took that damned potion all those years ago. This isn't possible… She can feel her heartbeat racing in her chest, making her feel lightheaded.

"Shh, babe," Emma whispers in her ear. "Do we need to do the mantra before we continue?"

She shakes her head, even as she feels it would probably help. "Not if it means we'll have to do it all over again after Mal explains what's going on. I don't want to do it twice in rapid succession. Just…" She forces herself to take a slow, deep breath. "Just tell me what's going on first."

The preternatural warmth of Mal's hand on her leg, combined with a bit of that Dragon magic tickling along her nerves, blends with the automatic magic that Emma and Quinn always seem to be sending her way. The combination does sooth her in ways that she never expected.

"You'll need to have Dasha do an exam to verify everything, of course, though the tea has never lied in all my years of knowing about it. But I think what happened is that the True Love's Kiss from Quinn and Emma that brought you back from death, defying the laws of magic as we know them, also somehow circumvented that infertility potion you took all those years ago to allow you to become pregnant with a child that is both Quinn's and Emma's." Mal pauses to take a breath and Regina sneaks a look at her to see the older blonde is visibly shaken. "To the best of my considerable knowledge, this is the first child conceived of a triad True Love's Kiss."

"Wait. What?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

Quinn and Emma talk over each other, their questions melding into a temporary cacophony of confusion that matches the turmoil raging within Regina. Without thought, her hands move to rest low on her belly, just below and to the right of the gut wound Hook had inflicted. She closes her eyes and focuses her magic inward, the first use of magic she's tried since that fateful day six weeks ago, searching for a sign of… 

And there it is. A faint little flicker of _something_ that isn't herself. She increases her magic slightly, holding her breath as she probes at that sensation again, then lets out a soft sob as she feels the life force responding.

"Regina? Babe, are you all right?" Emma's concerned voice makes her concentration falter.

She shakes her head and fights to regain that sensation again, tears falling harder as she reconnects with that small flicker of life force. Without thought, she reaches shakily for each of her loves' hands to press them to the same spot. "O-Open your senses," she whispers. "Search for it. It's faint, but it's there. Can you feel it?"

"Feel what?" Emma asks after a moment.

"Our baby," Quinn replies before Regina can, awe filling her voice. "I can just feel it. So tiny, so fragile, but definitely there."

"I can't…"

Regina wants to explain what it feels like, but she's overwhelmed that Quinn also feels it, confirming that she's not losing her mind. And then Mal's low, soothing voice takes over.

"Emma, do you remember the first time you felt Henry stirring in your womb? Remember that sensation and try to feel it in Regina. I know it's been a long time, but I'm sure that's a feeling you've never forgotten all these years."

Regina holds her breath, feeling Emma's hand shift slightly on her stomach, the trace of her magic getting just a bit stronger. "Oh…" Emma barely breathes the word, but Regina can hear all of the emotion poured into it. "There you are, minnow."

"Minnow?" Regina asks, not even caring that her voice cracks on the word.

"Henry was the guppy," is Emma's sheepish reply. "Is it okay if this baby's the minnow? Keep the theme?"

"Yes," Regina and Quinn say at the same time. The three of them laugh at that, and Regina feels closer to her loves than she ever has before.

"Our minnow," she whispers.

"I think that's my cue to leave the three of you alone now," Mal says, shifting the bed as she stands. "Lily and I will take the boys for the night. In fact, I'm going to have Zelena and Robyn spend the night with me, as well. You three need some peace and quiet to deal with this new information before you share it with the rest of the family."

"Thank you, Mal." Regina pauses to look up at her then. "Lily already knows, doesn't she? She knew the other day when we were all having lunch."

"She suspected, like I did, yes. But neither of us will say a word until you want us to. Just please promise me you'll have Dasha officially verify it and make sure my godchild is healthy?"

That brings a smile to Regina's face. "We will, I promise. Thank you, Mal."

"You're welcome, Little One. Congratulations to all of you."

With that, Mal nods and presses gentle kisses to all of their cheeks before leaving them alone. Regina stares at both of her loves for a moment before any of them speaks, noting the tears of joy in their eyes that clearly match her own.

"We're having a baby," she finally whispers. "I'm sorry I doubted all of you."

"It's all right, dear," Quinn says. "I had some choice words for Mal when she first told us, too. But I'm grateful to have been proven wrong. This baby is our second chance, just as you being here again is."

"And we're not going to let this second chance at happiness go to waste," Emma replies.

"No, we're not," Regina replies. "Our minnow is proof that True Love is the most powerful magic of all."


End file.
